The UnderCover
by JerseyDog
Summary: When James meets an assistant at his school who is hiding a secret, he end up convincing his family to bring her home. Rated T to be safe. Some Centipede/Spider moments. Chapter 8 is finally up!
1. Meeting Rhonda

Darkness and Light, it was one of the major things that split people into separate dimensions by personality, or the amount of greed in their soul. Some were destined to fade away into the darkness naturally or by influence of those they grew up with. Others, who kept quiet and showed no greed or haste belonged in the light, where joy was the most of everything.

And then, there was one place in between the two battling sides. It was an eternal and ongoing place, where the un-destines survived, newcomers being thrown into it every day. For it's small size, it had many. But with this place, where you chose neither Darkness or Light, came a price. The price that you can suffer for as long as the cruel world makes you, as with others in the Dark side greed themselves with plentiful meat and vegetables. The Light side kept only what they needed, but in the middle, it was scraps.

And then there was one place, New York City, who had never taken a side, not even the small place which was extremely reserved. They hadn't been involved with the separations, as it'd be too hard to separate many people there. New York had soon become the final resort for desperate souls who desired nothing, or people who had only wanted a bit of freedom in their final years. But New York did not want to side, or come in contact with these people, and sent guards all around them to make sure no one from Darkness or Light would enter.

Schools in New York flooded with news of this, and many children were being informed of it. To make sure they never made one wrong move if they found a desperate soul begging, every kid individually was informed of the sides. As many asked questions, they weren't answered. Which wasn't a good thing. James Henry Trotter was the last to hear the speech of the two sides, but his mind did not go about it. He didn't judge, and was told never to do so.

" Young man, are you listening?" Mr. Wesley, the principle, asking without any hint of patience. James could only nod as he pretended to listen. Every once so often, he would nod to make Mr. Wesley think he was listening. All he wanted to do at this point, with all the bickering and lecturing, was go home. With 30 minutes of the school day left, he couldn't be kept in the office much longer. Suddenly, the door opened.

" Mr. Wesley, I suggest sending James back to his final class for the last minutes of school." said a lady with black hair, green eyes, and a pale complexion. " Of course, Rhonda. James, you are dismissed back to your class. Rhonda will lead you back to make sure you don't skip." he said. James had no habit of doing so, but because of the bad reputation of kids, no one could be trusted. Rhonda gave a weak smile and walked through the hall with James, closing Mr. Wesley's door behind her.

Rhonda kept a grim frown on her face as she walked with the young boy. By the looks, Rhonda was about 22, and she was very quiet. James looked up at her. " Miss Rhonda? Why do you look so sad?" he asked. He hated seeing people sad. Rhonda looked down and smiled lightly, barely enough to notice. " I am not sad, just with all the chaos in this world, I've forgotten how to smile." she told him, although she was warmed by his concern. James sighed," I don't like this either. Most of my family isn't liking this."

Rhonda looked at him as they began walking down the stairs to James' teacher. They still had a few moments to talk, so she wouldn't waste them. " Who are your parents?" she asked. " I don't really have parents, but Ms. Spider acts like a mom. She's really nice." he replied. Rhonda raised an eyebrow. " Ms. Spider? What an odd last name, not to offend her or anything." she quickly said. James frowned slightly. " no, I mean, that's her first name. She's a real spider. Both of my original parents… well they.." James started to tear up slightly. Rhonda quickly lifted his face with her hands.

" I'm sorry, I was just being too nosy, wasn't I? I have a habit of that." she apologized honestly. She was intrigued by the fact his family was made up of insects as he continued talking with her. She would not judge his guardians though, James was a very kind and respectful boy. She frowned whenever she reached his classroom. " Good luck through the rest of the day James. I should see you tomorrow." she smiled, and let James go into the classroom.

Although Rhonda had seemed innocent, she wasn't from New York. She had sneaked her way past the guard and used New York as a last resort. But no one suspected Rhonda would have lived in the middle of a war. She seemed so nice, and innocent. She decided she would tell James and possibly be able to live with his family, but as of now, she had no home except for the streets.

James was finally on his way home, sitting on the bus in the very back. He never sat up front, because all of the "popular" kids sat up there. He didn't want to get messed with. In the back is where he would sit alone and talk amongst himself, wondering what surprises awaited him at home. Today, unusually, a kid named Francis was sitting back there with his twin, Franny. They were obviously gossiping, as most kids did. Franny let out her usual excited squeal and turned toward James. " Hey, look Francis, the kid is taking to himself!" she giggled. Francis looked at him. " He looks like a little shrimp!" he laughed, and moved over to James seat.

James moved to the metal bus wall and Francis huffed. " What's the matter with you shrimp?" he hastily commanded. James gulped, and Francis began to scoot closer to James, crushing him close near the wall. Franny smiled. " Hey bro, you're making shrimp into a smoothie." she laughed, and fell backwards at her own joke. Francis got up and then sat next to his crazed sister. James was near tears, he didn't like Francis. Francis began laughing. " Look, the shrimp is crying!" he laughed. James stopped his tearing up. " Leave me alone, Francis." he sniffed. " What are you going to do if I don't? Huh?" Francis taunted.

" I'm going to tell Rhonda!" James cried back. Francis laughed, and then the bus stopped. It was James' stop.. He quickly ran off the bus and into his home, away from Francis. He saw Miss Spider quietly looking form her room to see who was there. " Welcome home, James." she smiled, and then noticed him frowning. " What's the matter?" she asked. He sighed. " This mean bully, Francis, kept picking on me. He called me a shrimp and laughed at my friend Rhonda." he explained sadly. Miss Spider looked at him, and walked toward him.

" James, let it go through one ear and go out the other. It doesn't matter what people think of you, it's your opinion that counts." she said. James sniffed a little bit and then nodded. " I guess you're right." he said to her. She smiled at him. He was about to walk off when Miss Spider was getting curious." Who's Rhonda?" she asked him. James turned around. " She's a friend. She walked me to class today." he replied. Miss Spider nodded, and watched James go to his room. So James had made his first friend? That was good, but she didn't know much background information. Her parents, her personality, any siblings, and other things. With this in mind, she simply went back to her room and daydreamed.


	2. Secrets Hidden

Author's Note: To answer a question, the darkness and light is the difference of good and evil. Most younger or older people don't choose sides and end up in the middle. Old people prefer not to choose because it's something new to them, most children are used to regular lives and don't choose.

Also, I though this would take a while since I've been busy most of the day! Sorry for the delay!

Throughout the rest of the day, Miss Spider wondered about Rhonda. James never mentioned her age, who her family was, or anything. Well, if they just met today then he wouldn't know that yet, right? She sighed, thinking too much was beginning to become a habit of hers, and it only made her nervous. With the urge to continue thinking, she walked into the front room in hope to start a conversation., anything to get her mind off of Rhonda.

Rhonda continued with her paperwork, making copies for teachers, and finding out her pay. She wanted good pay, maybe she'd save enough to rent an apartment for a few months. Then again, she was only an assistant, why would she get paid so much? She overall liked the job, and considered the possibilities of working faster for more money. She wasn't sure it'd work that way, and she eventually stopped thinking about the matter of pay. What about James?

James really acted as a friend, and it wasn't acting either. Rhonda knew the difference. Was it some tale that he really lived with insects? No, James wouldn't lie. Rhonda was getting herself tangled up in an argument with herself, something she hated. _Rhonda, he's lying!_ Shut up, no he's not. _But oh yes he is! I am not going to stop until you admit it!_ Okay, if it makes you happy, he is lying. Okay? Now go away. I never thought I was this annoying. _I can't go away, I'm your brain. _Then obey your owner and shut up.

This was getting to her head, she could tell. She decided to stop thinking about it, maybe focus more on the copies. Mrs. Rex ordered 200 copies of music lyrics, Mr. Wesley needed all the files to be saved in the computer. She couldn't think, there was too much to do. She started typing on the computer, so she could get out of the school at a decent hour. Not that she minded staying, but it seemed desperate staying until midnight.

James smiled at his completed homework, it was another obstacle out of the way. He wanted to tell everyone about his friend, this first he made in school. She was so nice, but very quiet. Like Miss Spider, but he detected nothing going through their minds. They were too unreadable. But this would be good for him, having a friend. He walked into the front room to see the insects talking silently, Centipede quickly ran at James, full of questions about Rhonda.

" So, I heard you have a friend! What's her name? How old is she? What does she look like?" he questioned. Miss Spider lightly hit him to scold him. " I'm sure James will answer your questions if you stop running your mouth." she advised, and he frowned. " You're no fun, are ya?" he mumbled. James lit up with excitement. " Her name is Rhonda, she's really nice. She has black hair and green eyes. But I don't know her age." James told them.

Miss Spider tilted her head slightly. " Is she around your age?" she asked. James shook his head. " No, she's older than me. I think maybe very early twenties." he said. " Twenties? And here I thought you had made friends with a classmate." Centipede mumbled, downed by this. " Centipede!" Miss Spider scolded, giving him a light kick. He sighed. " Sorry kid, just didn't expect that." Centipede apologized. Miss Spider smiled lightly and realized it was around eight.

" Hmm, it's getting late. I better be leaving." she noticed. Centipede nodded, and she gave him the " don't you dare mess this up" look. He knew it better than anything, because he got it often. She left within a few minutes, leaving James quiet. He decided to go back to his room, and get to bed early.

_The next morning….._

Rhonda woke up to the sound of sirens ringing all around the street. She stumbled to get up, and forced her weight on a brick apartment. She let out a long yawn, and noticed the police were soaring by with their sirens on. _Hey, they're after you!_ My lord, is it you again? _Got that right. _Listen, can't you just leave me in peace? _That would ruin the fun of having a conscience, Rhonda. _I'm having absolutely no fun with you. Go away. _Someone's in a bad mood. You just noticed that?_

_She suddenly snapped, she was talking to herself. " Ugh.." she mumbled, and then noticed the time. " I've got to get to school! …wow that sounded weird." she said, and then headed off for the school. As she crossed the street to the school, she found herself rushing. She couldn't be late, or it was no pay for her. Hurriedly, Rhonda ran up the steps and then into a familiar face. She fell, and a few little papers landed on her. It was James she had run into._

" _I'm so sorry!" she quickly apologized, scattering to pick up the papers. James smiled," It's okay, accident's do happen.". Rhonda helped him up and he helped her with the papers. " How was your morning, James?" she asked as she walked through the hall, which wasn't very busy. " It was good, was yours?" he replied. She gulped, " Yea… um, sure it was." she said in a non-lying tone. Her thought was start a conversation before things got out of hand, but James detected she was lying._

" _What's the matter?" he asked her. She smiled at him. " I'll tell you during lunch okay? Just tell them you're scheduled to see me." Rhonda said quickly. James was confused, but could only nod as a response. He watched as she headed off to her office. The time was close to him being late, so he rushed to his classroom. _

_He was now truly awaiting lunch._


	3. The Secret Unleashed

At lunch….

James walked into the lunchroom to get his lunch, he couldn't wait to see Rhonda. He got through the line fast, and then he went upstairs to Rhonda's office. She smiled as soon as he walked in. " Hello James. Please sit." she greeted kindly, moving her black hair behind her. He nodded, and sat in the guest's seat, setting his tray on the desk.

" You said you wanted to talk with me, about this morning. I didn't know what to say, especially not there. When you said your family was gone, it surprised me. I just had a hard time to grasp that idea. But, I don't have the best life either." Rhonda admitted. James looked at her rather upset face. " What do you mean? Do you have any parents?" he asked. Rhonda shook her head. " My problem is far more than no parents. I live on the streets, struggling to find a decent pay. And I'm.. I'm an undecided." she confessed.

James expression was clearly shocked. Rhonda being an undecided? In the middle? That was impossible! " You're kidding, right?" he asked with a gulp. Rhonda looked at him with pitiful eyes. " Please James, don't tell anyone. I'd be dead if anyone else knew. We're treated like some type of murderers around here." she begged, and began to worry. James nodded. " I won't tell anyone. Do you need a place to stay? I can ask my family if you can come to our house." he offered.

Rhonda smiled lightly, James was very considerate of others, unlike any student she'd seen in her short days there. " James, I would love that. But would your family be okay with it?" she asked. James shrugged, and ate a little bit of the hot dog for lunch. " I'll ask." he replied, his mouthful of hot dog. Rhonda giggled slightly, and returned to typing. ' You can stay up here for the rest of lunch. It doesn't bother me." she offered, and James excepted.

_He's going to tell! _Really, you again? _I can't leave, I'm you. _Then I must be annoying. _That's not nice, you're making me cry. _No, I'm not making myself cry.

James noticed Rhonda moving her head and arms as if she was talking. " Miss Rhonda, is something wrong?" Mr. Wesley's voice came. Rhonda looked up. " No, sorry. I just got distracted." she quickly replied. " Don't let it happen again." he said, and closed the door. He hadn't noticed James, which was good.

The lunch bell rang, and James waved a goodbye. Rhonda waved back and he left. She could only hope nothing about herself would get out. But she knew she could trust James, but what about his family? She hoped that they wouldn't turn her in. Maybe she shouldn't have told him, maybe she wasn't supposed to be happy. Rhonda ended up letting out a long sigh, and typed up more things.

Throughout the day, Rhonda's words replayed in his head. He couldn't stop thinking about it, even as he departed school. He sat in the back, as usual, and thought allot about her. Rhonda never seemed like that, through the two days they knew each other, she never seemed like someone who would be from the distant world. He knew it'd be hard to make the decision, to have to be perfect, or collapse on your own clumsy mistakes. During the bus ride, Francis called him shrimp in all, but James didn't notice. He didn't care.

When his bus stop came, he walked off still in deep though, and his face was emotionless. All that was on his mind is what Rhonda said, " I'm an undecided.". But he stopped thinking, and focused on his family now. Would they let Rhonda in knowing this? Quickly, he rushed toward his house, and dropped his backpack inside. " Miss Spider?" he called. Miss Spider walked up to him from her room, sensing the worry in his voice.

" What is the matter James?" she asked. James sighed. " It's really difficult. But you know my friend Rhonda?" he started, for Miss Spider to nod. " Well, I realized there wasn't something right about her this morning. So I went up to her room for lunch and, well. She said she was an undecided." he continued, with hesitance in his voice. Miss Spider was slightly shaken. " James…an undecided? How did she get here?" she asked in a blank tone. James frowned.," I don't know, just please don't tell on her. I was wondering if she could, maybe stay here.".

Miss Spider looked at him. " Taking in an undecided? Risk the possibilities of getting killed for it? I don't know James…" she told him, with a worried face. James looked at Miss Spider sadly. " Please? She'll never be suspected. Please?" he begged. Miss Spider really couldn't take James being sad, so she reluctantly agreed. " Okay, but, if they put up signs for her, we'll have to kick her out." she sighed, and walked back into her room.

Now, she was in deep worry. What had she just done? Said yes to letting an undecided in, that's what. It was enough for her to get panicked over, she had noticed. Miss Spider didn't like this at all, and did her best to stop thinking. _It will be fine, it will be fine, _she repeated in her head. _It has to work out._

_Author's Note: Sorry this chapter is shorter, I just woke up and I'm not fully functioning yet._


	4. Going Home

**Alright, I guess I've tortured everyone enough with no new chapters. Sorry, I've been so busy! I've finally found the time, which is midnight! Enjoy!**

The rest of that night James told Miss Spider the Rhonda was undecided, she was not able to calm down. It wasn't like her to get worried, normally she was calm and could deal wit any problems. ' I'm letting a trespasser in!' she thought in her mind. As she continued to worry, Centipede opened the door. " Hey, you doing alright in here Spidey?" he asked in a rough voice, looking around for her. " Yes, I think so.." she trailed off, as Centipede walked in.

" You don't seem, err, happy. What's wrong?" he asked, trying not to anger her. She sighed. " You know how James has a friend now?" she asked, and Centipede shook his head yes. " Well, earlier James asked if she could stay with us for a while. When I asked why, he said she was a-an und-undecided .". Centipede gulped. " Yikes, the kid doesn't make the best of friends.. What'd ya say?" he replied. She lightly hit him. " It's not his fault the kids aren't treating him right. But, he gave me the stare, and I said yes." she said, frowning.

Centipede looked at her panicking face. " I don't think it'll be that bad." he tried to assure her. " Yes it will. I've invited one of the most wanted types of people in New York City into our house!" she told him, now completely upset. ' I've never seen her this worked up about something, but I can't blame her.' he thought. Eventually, she had calmed down with Centipede's help. Before he left the room, he noticed she was allot more calm. However, he could still read the slightest bit of worry in her face.

That was just it. Out of all the family, although barely, he could read her. But not very well. However, certain emotions were easy to find on her if they were rare or regular. He walked out the door of her room and went to his. He needed a nap.

In the morning…

James woke up and yawned, stretching shortly after. He stumbled out of bed, and trudged over to his dresser. With another yawn, it opened it and got dressed. It was going to be an exciting day, although he wasn't fully awake yet. He knew it, and couldn't wait to show Rhonda around his house. He smiled, and walked out of his room.

All the insects were eating breakfast, except for an absent Miss Spider. She was usually there, and then went back to sleep. " Where's Miss Spider?" he asked, looking around to make sure he wasn't just thinking of it. Mrs. Ladybug looked at him. " She got home very late this morning, about 4:00. She's still sleeping." she told him, and then handed him a plate of breakfast. He ate silently, and couldn't wait to get to school. Soon, he walked out the door to go to school.

Meanwhile, Rhonda's morning was usual. Get up, don't get caught. It was easier than she thought it would be, since she looked nothing like those normal beggars that wanted into New York. Her line of employment also wasn't a bit suspicious, so she had lowered her guard on the walk to school. When she got to the steps, she saw Francis bullying James. " Look at the shrimp! He's not even fighting back!" Francis laughed.

This made Rhonda furious, and she stormed over to Francis, grabbing him by his collar. " We do not tolerate bullying in this school. Unless you want strict punishment, you better not let me or any other adult catch you bullying this kid again. Got it?" she hissed. Francis shook his head, then ran in away from Rhonda. She looked at James. " Hey, you alright?" she asked him. " Yes. Miss Spider told me to elt it go through one ear and out the other." he replied to her. Rhonda smiled.

" Your guardians sound very nice. Will I get to meet them tonight?" she asked. James smiled. " Yes, you will. I can't wait to introduce you to all my family. Especially Miss Spider." he said smiling. Rhonda returned a smile and heard the bell ring. " You better get going James. I don't want you late." she told him. He waved bye, and then rushed into the school.

The end of the school day…

James heard the bell ring, and it was the last one that meant it was time to go home. He waited outside the door for Rhonda, and saw her after a few minutes. Rhonda smiled at him, and followed him to the bus. As soon as all the kids were on, the buss took off. Francis nor Franny sat in the back today, both in fear of Rhonda.

The bus stopped at James' stop, and he got off with Rhonda. She was excited to meet his family, and he opened the door.

Boy, he wasn't lying. There was a giant Centipede in the kitchen, and a giant Grasshopper in the living room. Curled up on the couch was Earthworm, and in a small chair was Mrs. Ladybug. After a long time of greeting, Rhonda looked at James. " Where's Miss Spider?" she asked. " Miss Spider is in her room. I don't know if she went back to sleep or not, but it wouldn't surprise me." Grasshopper told them. James nodded, and led Rhonda to Miss Spider's room.

**I don't know if this chapter is shorter than the others, but I am tired. It's midnight, what do you expect? Anyway, please read and review! The next will be up when… sometime.**


	5. Meetings

Author's Note: I realize my delay wasn't as long. Probably because this needed up before school started. Anyway, enjoy!

Rhonda's eyes traveled the house James lived in. It had so much room, inside that tiny little space she'd seen outside. She turned her eyes toward James when he knocked on Miss Spider's door. " Is she asleep?" Rhonda asked nervously. As she stared at the door, it slowly opened to reveal a female spider. She had eyes resembling the same emerald color of Rhonda's, and slightly shorter Black hair.

Miss Spider looked up at Rhonda, studying her a moment. " Welcome." she said at last, not wanting to be rude. The truth was she was close to shaking in fear, not sure how Rhonda was reacting to her. Rhonda stuck out her hand.

" Hi, you must be Miss Spider." she greeted. Miss Spider shook her hand, and then Rhonda looked away from her. James smiled at Miss Spider. " She's nice, isn't she?" he said, and Miss Spider nodded. He turned his attention to Rhonda, who was looking into the living room at the others.

" Is it okay if I got sit down?" she asked James. He smiled. " Yes, we can go sit down in the living room. Centipede talks allot though." James warned playfully. Rhonda smiled and sat on the couch, opposite side of Centipede. The TV was turned on, and they were all watching race cars. Mrs. Ladybug didn't seem interested, and instead was knitting. Earthworm would occasionally try to take the remote from Centipede, but wouldn't succeed. She noticed Centipede's eyes were transfixed on car number six, leading in first place.

" Come on number six! Leave 'em in the dust!" Centipede shouted at the TV. Miss Spider walked into the living room, unimpressed by Centipede's yelling. She startled Rhonda at first, but then she waved at her. Miss Spider returned a little wave, and then looked at Centipede.

" What did that TV do to you for you to yell at it?" she asked humorously, snatching the remote from him. She changed the channel to James' favorite channel, and Centipede began objecting. " Aw come on! There was only one minute left!" he huffed. Miss Spider shot him a doubting look.

"Yes, if one minute means thirty minutes." she said, laughing slightly after. He sighed in defeat, and settled for Spongebob. " Thank you, I can't stand that horrible racing channel." Earthworm blurted, and Rhonda laughed at him.

" That makes two of us." she said with a smile. Mr. Grasshopper looked at the clock, and his eyes widened. " The time must have escaped me! I must be going!" he announced, and got up. Before leaving, he looked back at Rhonda. " It was nice meeting you, miss." he said, and walked out of the door.

Mrs. Ladybug looked at her lack of red yarn and sighed. " Miss Spider, could you please give me the red yarn over there?" she asked politely. Miss Spider walked over, and lightly threw a ball of red yarn at Mrs. Ladybug. " Thank you. Shouldn't you be leaving soon?" she asked, trying not to sound rude.

" It opens at nine on Fridays. It is only seven." Miss Spider told her. Rhonda looked at James. " What is she talking about?" Rhonda asked. James watched the remaining minute of Spongebob before it went on commercial, and then he looked at Rhonda. " Just work." he told her.

" Oh." Rhonda said, and then looked at Miss Spider. She noted that she was playful at times, but Rhonda could not tell what she was thinking. And then she thought of it, Centipede and Miss Spider seemed to get along in an odd way. She was polite and quiet, while he was loud and wanted to fight about something as simple as TV. Either way, the insects seemed to get along fine.

" Rhonda?" she heard a voice ask. She saw it was Miss Spider. " Hmm?" she asked, snapping out of her thoughts. " You zoned out." James laughed, and Miss Spider looked concerned. " Are you alright?" Miss Spider asked. Rhonda nodded. " I'm fine, sorry." she apologized. Miss Spider dismissed it, and walked quietly back to her room.

Rhonda was not aware of what would take place the next day.


	6. Locked Up

I am SO SORRY I abandoned you guys on this story! I've been seriously story blocked, and super busy. Mom's car is being stupid, I have piles of homework, my eyesight's gone screwy, and all that jazz. Anyway, enjoy!

The night continued, throughout the only disturbance being Miss Spider coming in the door from work, and Grasshopper returning as well. Rhonda had slept pretty well in the guest room, which was fairly small, with the hint of one of those old houses and the continuous being of stillness. She had first thought it wouldn't work out, but she did manage that night.

The next morning, Rhonda awoke with a small yawn, her head feeling heavy, as she just got up. She blinked a few times, and then moved her shoulders back onto the pillow, stopping herself from collapsing back onto the bed. Her legs were still under the comforter, which gave her a sense of security in the dimly lit room. Sunlight barely made it's way through the window, the small closet near her reflecting light onto the other side of the room through the specs of dust.

She moved her feet onto the floor, getting up with slow movement. It was still early, around 6:00. She usually woke around this time working at the school, so it didn't surprise her. She, however, was shocked to hear voices of the family coming from the kitchen. She slowly made her way to the door, and pressed her ear against it.

The voices on the other side were Miss Spider's and Grasshopper's, Rhonda could tell due to the members of the family each having a different accent. " And you're sure it was her?" she could hear Miss Spider saying, in a confused tone. 'Her?' Rhonda thought. The only other female in the family was Miss Ladybug, and surely they wouldn't be talking about her. Which only left herself.

" I'm sure, clear as could be. She has to leave." Grasshopper stated. Rhonda could hear Miss Spider sigh, as she had used her hearing to accurately escape the darkness. Her hearing had become very keen through the months, struggling to live freely once more. " James will be heartbroken, but it is for the best." Miss Spider quietly said. Rhonda could detect movement aiming for the room, and she dashed into the bed, not wanting to be seen eavesdropping. Sure enough, the door had opened, light peeking into the room. Miss Spider was looking at her, and she knew it. She could easily sense when she was being looked at.

Her presence was then added to, by Grasshopper walking in. " She's still asleep, we'll tell her when she awakes." he said quietly. Miss Spider nodded, and then closed the door. Rhonda shot up in the bed, fears overwhelming her. Tell her what? She began to feel a lump in her throat, now knowing it was about her. Was she causing trouble, did she do something wrong,…would she have to leave? The questions raced ni her mind, and for the best, she decided to go back to sleep.

But she would have to stop dreaming eventually.

About an hour later, Rhonda had unsteadily awoken to a ringing in her ear, and opened her eyes. The room was lit to where she could see it entirely, but barely. She tried to ignore what she had heard earlier, and got onto her feet much quicker. Confidence, something she was going to try. She opened the door, her arm shaky, and scolded herself for being nervous. With a seemingly forceful step, she walked forward and into the kitchen, where she saw Miss Spider talking to James.

" But why does she have to leave?" James asked, not crying, but definitely close to it. Rhonda tuned our Miss Spider's words as the fears inside her head seemed to grow closer. She was caught, she'd be thrown back. Or worse. She could be killed, thrown into prison, anything. Her eyes widened in fear, and then she noticed something. Miss Spider had seen her. Her look didn't stayed full of scorn, but of sympathy.

"I'm sorry, Rhonda, but you have to leave." she said quietly. Rhonda, although shaky, nodded slowly and sadly. She saw the pleading look on James, his eyes begging Miss Spider to let her stay. But Rhonda knew she could get the entire family, including James, in huge trouble with the government. She heavily walked through the kitchen, opening the door slowly. She was outside, and felt a cold chill run down her body. She closed the door then, and walked away from the house. In her mind, all she was picturing was doom.

Which was exactly what happened.

As Rhonda continued walking, she had found a place to hide from authorities, in an alley. It wasn't god, but she knew it was her only hope. She put her arms around her legs, and closed her eyes. She didn't like this at all. In fear, she had drifted off into a sleep, hoping to escape reality. Wanting to know that she wasn't going to be alone.

Meanwhile, Miss Spider was watching TV, absent-minded. She felt horrible about kicking Rhonda out, and she didn't want to do it. She knew James was crushed, and it was because of her. It was her fault that James wouldn't even go fro a walk with Centipede or water the garden with Mrs. Ladybug. It was all her fault. She closed her eyes, trying to ignore what happened. But she knew James would be upset. James probably wouldn't want to talk to her for a while.

That alone hurt her, worse than she could've imagined. She heard footsteps, and knew it was James. He was probably trying to cheer himself up. The last thing he needed was to see her and be reminded of what happened. Miss Spider rushed into the kitchen from the living room, and she walked to the door. Grasshopper stopped her by placing a hand on her. She turned around.

" Where are you going?" he asked her, eyeing her. He didn't have to look twice to know when Miss Spider was in a bad mood. Her pale face looked over to the door. " I'm going for a walk." she said solemnly, and pushed his hand away. She walked out the door, and didn't listen to his comment about it being slightly chilly outside. She just continued walking.

Until she spotted a familiar face being torn away by a pair of cops, pulling her back into the car. Miss Spider watched, her mouth opened slightly in shock. Rhonda was caught, and they were taking her away. She saw her kicking, and desperately trying to get away, but failed. Miss Spider watched the scene after Rhonda had been shoved into the car. The cops quickly got in to leave.

But what got her was Rhonda's look. It signaled she knew she was there, and she was asking for help. But Miss Spider couldn't seem to do anything but stare sadly. Before the car had left, she could have sworn she saw Rhonda turn around and look at her one last time. One last look in the eye, begging for her to help. And all she did was stare back, unable to move.

When Miss Spider had returned home, her face was down. She was trying to hide the tears she was crying. She had upset James deeply, and now she knew this news was just going to hurt him worse. She didn't even notice the fact Centipede was in the kitchen, staring at her sobbing silently in her hands. He didn't want to startle her, so he tapped her gently. She did jump at the touch, but then looked up and saw him. " What's the matter, Love Legs?" he asked. She didn't even acknowledge he had called her Love Legs, a nickname she had particularly disliked. She had to stop crying before telling him exactly what had happened, how she felt. Everything.

After listening to this, Centipede was pretty shocked himself. But he wouldn't admit it, at least not while Miss Spider was there.. Seemingly, talking about it calmed her a tad, but she still was upset about the entire thing. " I just can't stand seeing James this upset, and what happened to Rhonda.." she trailed off. It then hit her, if she wanted him to be happy, there would have to be a way to get Rhonda back. And she had to think of it.

Hope you guys enjoyed! It took me a while, which I apologize for! I can't be sorry enough! But now that it's up, please review!


	7. Ladies First

I am very sorry it took me so long to post this. Please don't expect regular updates until Summer Break- which for us is May 23rd. It's not that long away and I hope I can start updating regularly. I have been extremely busy, I'm very sick, and I have a slight case of insomnia.

It had been a few days now since Rhonda had been taken away from the house under arrest. James had never been as happy as he usually was, and he was very taken down by her leaving. The school had already replaced Rhonda with a new assistant, Carol Vaughn, and she had already come to like James. Who could blame her? James was always a friendly person.

But as the days grew into weeks, James was still very silent about the entire situation. He wasn't the only one, and this had been discovered simply by Centipede. Miss Spider hadn't really come out of her room much since then. The only time he was able to talk with her was if he woke up very early and didn't go to bed until eight. Needless to say, he hadn't socialized with either of the two in a while, and it was definitely taking its toll on the family.

The lamp in the living room flickered on as Mrs. Ladybug began to sew in a calm matter, her hands not spinning around the cloth rapidly as usual. She was the only one up, and it was simply because she could not sleep. The feeling of guilt was somehow overcoming her, although she knew it wasn't her fault at all. Her hands let the needle fall to the ground clumsily as she zoned out in thought, but it didn't take long for her to notice. She picked it up quickly, and began sewing slowly again, her expression blank of excitement.

About the time she had finished sewing a sleeve for a dress together, she heard slight creaking from the stairs. She turned her head, and saw Miss Spider walking down. Oddly, she had a purple hood around herself as she walked. "Miss Spider, come talk to me." Mrs. Ladybug said, loudly enough so the spider could hear her. Sure enough, her pale face met the gaze of the other insect in the room.

"Yes?" she asked quietly, the hood swaying slightly to her movement. Mrs. Ladybug sighed. "Why aren't you talking to us anymore?" she asked. For a moment, all you could hear in the room was the traffic outside and the slight alter of the spider's breathing.

"Ever since Rhonda was taken by the police, I've just felt like no one would want to talk to me…"she said eventually, breaking the silence. Mrs. Ladybug shook her head quickly. "Dear, it's not your fault this happened. I know you want to help. Perhaps you can." she replied, stopping to let the spider to wonder what she meant. Sure enough, the statement had made her cock her head ever so slightly as to ask how.

"Mrs. Vaughn is the new assistant at the school. Her husband works for the police force. You may be able to ask her something about it." Mrs. Ladybug started. "And how am I supposed to get her attention?" Miss Spider interjected. Mrs. Ladybug stopped her absent sewing throughout the conversation.

"Are you joking? You, as well as the rest of this family, are unusually colossal insects. Sure you're no Centipede, but you are Miss Spider! You can't lose your hope in this." she explained. After a few seconds without any reaction, Miss Spider nodded.

"I guess you're right. I will talk to Mrs. Vaughn tomorrow. But I am going to be late if I do not leave now, so goodbye." she told her. As she walked away from the room, the light sounds of sewing resumed.

Rhonda

The cold wind rubbed against Rhonda's skin as she was yet again taken into another building for either questioning or to be judged. She hissed a bit in pain as one of the two people beside her accidentally- or, at least, what she presumed was accidentally- stepped on her foot. Both were taller than her, and both were male. She didn't bother saying anything, knowing they would ignore her anyway.

Her head turned upward at the building they were about to enter. It was big, old, and was due for a new coat of paint. The guards dragged her forward when she failed to go forward herself, having been observing the building. She sighed, hoping that maybe she'd be set free and be able to stay in New York. But her hope was low, and she knew it was unlikely anything would happen to guarantee her freedom.

It was calm at first, as the inside of the building was fairly nice. A small aquarium was set up in the front, the carpeting was a nice velvet shade. The walls were painted a cream color. Everything about the building seemed perfect as she was walked upstairs, where to her unknown knowledge, her fate would be decided.

Once upstairs, she was told to sit and wait as they walked into a room. They closed the door, probably to block any sound, but Rhonda could still hear them as if they were right next to her.

" What are we going to do?" asked one of the men who had escorted Rhonda to the place. The chief sighed, resting his head in his hand. " I don't see how these undecided people keep getting here. But we don't need them. If New York is the last peaceful place, then we're keeping it that way." he stated. From outside, Rhonda's heart jumped. In her mind, she was wondering if there were more people just like her.

" Anyway," the chief continued, his voice gruff," I want them all dead. Just kill them. Won't do no good letting them back out into the world where they can continue to invade New York.". The two guards exchanged glances, and nodded. " Have them executed?" they asked. The chief nodded, setting down a stack of papers. There were about twenty papers.

" These are the records of all of them." he stated. One of the people glanced through the papers, and noticed something odd.

" Uh, sir? There's only one female in here. Miss Rhonda Azure is her name." he stated. The chief smiled and looked up. " Ah, well as they say, ladies first." he stated. Frowning, both the escorts left the room and led Rhonda out.

Rhonda was not crying, and simply had acted as if she hadn't heard them. But on the inside, she was trembling, only wishing for a miracle.


	8. If All Else Fails

Author's Note: Thank you for being patient! I am much better now, and I just got back from vacation. This chapter was, interesting, to write.I hope you enjoy it.

Since being locked up, in a rather small space that was quite dirty, Rhonda had done anything but relax. She had anxiously been pacing back and forth, breathing heavily, unsure how much time she had left. Around her were two more cells, where she had seen two other undecided people dragged into them. She had even began talking to some of them, only to find them taken away. And there she stood, looking out the cell, and staring at the cold empty room outside. It wasn't until she heard clicking on the floor that she turned her head, seeing an escort.

" Ma'am, you are needed for questioning." the man said solidly. Rhonda's eyes pierced into his soul as she stared directly at him. " Why?" she asked simply, her voice dull, and she had even found she had snapped. She knew it wasn't his fault, but he could at least do something besides what he was ordered. Talk to her, but he didn't. Instead, he took her to the chief's office, where she found the officer lazily slinging his pen from side to side. As they entered, she chief smiled.

" Hello, Miss Azure." was his greeting.

" Shut up. Ask me what you need, get it over with. With us both being honest, I don't want to even spit in your direction, and you don't generally care about me." Rhonda hissed.

The chief's eyes almost lit up as he smirked at her. " Now now, getting feisty, are we?" he taunted. Instantly, Rhonda pulled against the escort's grip, escaping quickly and stopping at the chief's desk.

" Why should I tell you anything? I'm going to die anyway." she questioned, her eyes narrowing.

The chief studied her glare a moment. This was going to be an interesting evening, indeed. He signaled for his men to leave the room, and Rhonda didn't flinch. " Well, you know, Miss Azure… Call me Rhonda, for heaven's sakes. You're making it sound like you care." she spat. He glared at her for a moment.

"We could do this one of two ways. One, I could get this interview done, maybe even delay your death. Or" he stopped, and snapped his fingers. The door rattled a bit, Rhonda glared back at it only to reveal two men manhandling Ms. Spider through the hall. ", we could always let you take some convincing.". Gritting her teeth, Rhonda used her leg to push the chair in front of her into the desk, startling the chief slightly.

"You better get this done fast." she warned, looking back at Ms. Spider, who mutually looked less than pleased to be there. The chief smiled, snapping his fingers once again, and they pulled her away. "You won't get away with this!" Ms. Spider shouted at the chief as she was dragged from the room.

Awkwardly, Rhonda sat down in front of the desk, cursing silently under her breath. "The name's Jack, incase you were wondering." the chief said eventually, breaking the silence. Rhonda shook her head. "I don't care. Hurry up." she sighed.

After what seemed to be forever, the questioning was finished. Rhonda was hastily escorted out and into the cell she was originally in, only to find Ms. Spider there as well.

"I tried, and that's all I could do. I'm sorry. This is my fault." Ms. Spider sighed, not looking at Rhonda, but rather at the dirty ground on which she stood. Rhonda shook her head. "It is not your fault, if anything, it's mine. I came here in the first place, I ran into James, and I asked. I never should have thought this would work.." she sighed, placing her face in her hand. Ms. Spider watched, sighing slightly, but turned her head outside of the bars when she heard footsteps. And to both Rhonda and Ms. Spider's surprise, they saw Mrs. Vaughn.

"Oh my goodness! What are you two doing here?" she exclaimed, seeing them. She ran toward the bars, stopping. "We are trapped. I am an undecided, and I tried to stay with James. It didn't work." Rhonda explained, looking at her. Mrs. Vaughn shook her head.

"Neither of you deserve this, and poor James had been miserable at school. Listen, I try to talk to my husband about you two, and try to convince him to let you go, alright?" she told them. Both of them looked up at her, studying her for a moment, before nodding their heads slightly. And with that, Mrs. Vaughn was out of sight.

"Do you think it will work?" Rhonda asked, glancing over at Mrs. Spider. The spider only sighed in return, and turned away. "All we can do is hope."she replied. And the two left their words at that.

Okay, I know, it probably wasn't that good, I've been busier than expected and it actually took me a long time to write this little bit. Review, tell me what you think. Have I driven myself further into writer's block?


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